Local Radiologist Recognized for National Award

Study Led by Dr. Jennifer Kemp Receives Minnies Award for Scientific Paper of the Year

Winners were announced today for the 2017 edition of the Minnies, AuntMinnie.com’s campaign to recognize the best and brightest in medical imaging. The paper by Dr. Jennifer Kemp, et al, Patient-centered radiology: Where we are, where do we want to be, and how do we get there? is the winner in the Scientific Paper of the Year category.

The paper was published in Radiology in June and focused on a broadening issue facing the radiology industry: the difficulties radiologists have in dedicating more time with patients. The research, taken from surveys of nearly 700 radiologists, found that the majority of radiologists desire more patient-facing time, but the pressure to focus on aspects of their jobs that generate revenues is a major obstacle.

Dr. Kemp’s personal dedication to the cause of greater patient involvement within radiology began when her husband was diagnosed with cancer. As a fellowship trained body imaging radiologist with Diversified Radiology, she thought she would have been better prepared for something like this. However, “being on the other side, I could not believe how it felt sitting in radiology waiting rooms,” she said. “I was shocked with the experience my husband went through.”

There is no easy answer to this dilemma, but according to the study, there are some intriguing ways to improve the communication gap, such as integrating reading rooms into subspecialty clinics and outreach via social media platforms. It could ultimately result in a case of delayed return on investment when increased patient interaction negatively impacts the bottom line.

“Hopefully when radiologists are more visible to patients, then the financial reimbursement will come down the road,” Kemp concluded. Perhaps a sense of increased satisfaction will also come with creating a more ideal patient-centric practice model.